horse thief lake

What a beautiful little campground. Quiet lake that people fish in, not sure if they catch anything. There are some really cool tent sites up the hills that are very private and seem more like backpacking than car camping. Not many facilities here, just a spigot and pit toilets.

We took a hike around the lake and it was really scenic. Very tranquil and quiet. The hike around the lake was on a good trail.

Great place for a picnic and hiking. The Horse Thief Lake Trail is not right around the lake but it is nice too.

As we were leaving Mount Rushmore we stopped here to take it all in. It had just finished snowing, so we had to take a family selfie with the lake behind us. It's just so beautiful. Great for a picnic after Mount Rushmore. Tons of photo locations.

The parking lot is off the dirt road leading to Horsethief Lake. It is in the Black Elk Wilderness so a permit is required but all you have to do is to fill it out at the trailhead, insert a white copy at the box and carry the second with you. The trail starts along the stream and on rocks that were wet early in the morning. There were many spots where mud and water created obstacles but solitude, vegetation, rocks, wildflowers, sound of water were fantastic. There are also section of the trails with overgrown vegetation so having a fast drying slacks were really necessary. I hiked the loop first along a connector to Centennial Trail intersection, then Centennial Trail to Grizzly Bear Creek Trail to Horsethief Lake Trail to Rushmore Trail and finished at the highway. I walked a short distance along the highway to get back to the trailhead and a parking lot. It was great day with a blue sky. Would love to return to the area and hike on many more trails. My National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map #238 shows many trails in Black Hills. I gave a lower the rating for my hike only because of helicopter tours buzzing above my head. This noise pollution is very annoying especially on peaceful trails in the wilderness.

We found the lake as we were traveling between Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. We stopped on the road and took some pictures and played in the water for just a minute. There were places to picnic, camp and there were people fishing. Would love to spend more time there!

The name itself was alluring, and the lake was, too! It was very tranquil and a great place for picnicking. Bring cash, though, because the park asks that you give $4 for facility use. Still, it was worth a stop.

There are good hiking trails around the lake. Lots to choose from. There is also a rock climbing area across the highway.

In 2003 I packed up the car and took my 10 year old daughter on a road trip she still talks about to this day. We drove past Mount Rushmore and stopped next to a lake; I happened to have a fishing pole and a few lures in the trunk. My daughter threw out the line and bang - first cast caught a nice rainbow trout.I just went back to Rapid City with a friend and his 12 year old daughter. All I can say is: 2 days; 2 hours; 2 limits of rainbow trout - who could ask for anything more.

I don't know if I'd consider Horsetheif Lake an attraction??? Haha! But it was a nice quiet place to camp and nice trail to walk around the small lake. Basically just a small pretty lake to drive by an have a picnic at and maybe some fishing. Swimming? I'd say nahhhh there's way better places to swim around the area that are actually ment for swimming at.

Beautiful Lake!! Great sights! Even though its man-made it still adds beauty and value to the area! Didn't fish there, but obviously is a good sight to fish as there were quite a few people on the shore.

We stopped here to allow our dog to swim. It was so nice. People were fishing along one area, camping along another area and yet others were in rafts in the water. A pretty spot not far out of town from Keystone. Would like to go back to camp there.

when we decide to camp the area, we'll probably stay here. Quiet and serene, we stopped to leash our pet and let him stretch his legs, too. Fishing seemed to be excellent as the anglers we watched were pulling them in frequently

We spent a little time trying to catch some fish from here. It wasn't too hard the day we went. They were biting good and we had a lot of fun pulling them in. The walkway around the lake is so nice. The day we were there, there was someone fishing from a wheel chair. It is good to see that these places are accommodating. Just the lake itself is beautiful, but the land around it is inspiring. And hearing the 1880s train in the hills close by is pretty neat too.

We visit this lake in the fall because of the Aspen - all the colors - the hike starts beside the stream, goes along the stream and then moves through some fabulous rock formations. Several trails intersect along the way. Neat place.